What is WPC Flooring?

WPC (Wood-Plastic/Polymer Composite) Vinyl Flooring is an engineered luxury vinyl-flooring product that has been recently introduced to the floor covering industry. Wood Composites are still considered new materials relative to the long history of natural lumber as a building material and its mainly used for outdoor deck floors, and has also found use in many other items such as railings, fences, landscaping timbers, cladding and siding, park benches, molding and trim, window and door frames, and in recent years there has been a growing demand for wood composite floors in the floor covering industry.

Wood-plastic composites were first introduced into the decking market in the early 1990s. Manufacturers claim that wood-plastic composite is more environmentally friendly and requires less maintenance than the alternatives of solid wood treated with preservatives or solid wood of rot-resistant species.  In the flooring industry WPC flooring has been trending up due to its advantage over laminate and engineered wood flooring for being 100% waterproof, extremely durable and being kids and pet friendly.

Construction

Unlike regular vinyl floors that are made of a single piece of vinyl/plastic, WPC flooring planks are crafted in multiple layers

Base / Core Layer – The base or core layer in WPC flooring is produced by thoroughly mixing ground wood particles (Also known as wood flour) and heated thermoplastic resin which is then extruded and molded into flooring shaped plank pieces.  By using this advanced manufacturing technology, manufacturing can produce WPC as an extremely durable core material and market it as being waterproof, rigid and highly dimensionally stable.

Luxury Vinyl Top Layer – The top layer in WPC floors are made with a 100% virgin vinyl it is molded and crafted with wood accents and grain patterns adding a level of realism and natural look that is highly sought for in todays flooring applications. In addition to its luxurious appearance, the vinyl top layer is also considered as a highly resilient, durable surface that is dent and impact resistant helping your floor stay beautiful for years to come.

Wear Layer – The wear layer on WPC floors is made of clear plastic polymer film. Applied to the top of the decorative vinyl layer, the wear layer allows the beauty of the floor to shine trough while adding an extra coat of durability and extends the life of your resilient flooring. The clear polymer film is designed to protect the vinyl layer from wear & tear, stains, scratches and most importantly provides an allergen free surface that is easy to clean and maintain.

WPC Vinyl Flooring wear layer’s durability is determined by its thickness, The thickness of the wear layer is measured in mils, and wear layers are typically runs in 6, 12 or 20 mils thick, obviously the thicker the wear layer is the tougher and more resilient the flooring will be.  Make sure to consider the foot traffic and the wear layer thickness when ordering WPC flooring for your next project.